001 - What Is A Health Coach, Really?
Hey friends! Welcome to the very first episode of the Health forward podcast! I'm so thankful and excited to have you guys here with me! I thought I would get started today by explaining a little about who I am, what I do and how I'm hoping this podcast will impact your life!
I’m Alaina! I’m a wife to my husband, Scott (for almost 10 years, which is completely crazy to think about), and a mama to our adorable 1½-year-old little girl, Remi. She is all the things my mama dreams are made of - sweet, sassy and hilarious - at least we think she is!
As you also heard in the intro, I am an Integrative Health Coach. I work with clients, either one on one or in a group setting, to help them move forward in their health journey. This can look different based on the client's circumstances and individual needs, but the simplest way to explain it is that I literally coming alongside them, to help them to set appropriate goals for their body and their health and then provide guidance and support as they work to achieve those goals. I practice a holistic approach to health, which means that I look at how all areas of life are connected and how they are affecting a client's health (not just what they eat and how much they exercise). So, for example, is stress at their job or in their relationship causing them to binge on a bag of chips when they get home from work or feel like they need a pint of ice cream every night before they go to bed? Maybe they are struggling to sleep or have really low energy all the time, and that is making it hard for them to exercise consistently. As I work with a client, we don't just focus on behaviors or certain habits; but instead, we look at how all parts of their life affect their health as a whole and work to target the root cause of whatever they may be struggling with. Once we've done that, then we decipher their body's unique needs, set their personal goals, and work towards sustainable change.
Why a Health Coach?
So you may be thinking, "okay - sounds cool but why would someone need a health coach? Can't you just find all the answers about losing weight or being healthier on google?" Well, I'm so glad you asked. :) This is my favorite part to talk about!
Let's be honest, most of us don't have a problem finding information about how to be healthy. It is absolutely true that all the info you could ever possibly read about any diet, workout program, detox, protein shake, disease, etc. can be found in a simple google search in a matter of seconds and for free. So, the problem isn't getting information! The problem that most of us face is knowing what to do with that information, right? So, we don't really have an information gap, we have a transformation gap!
A Transformation is the thing we are actually after, the thing that most of us really want. Part of a transformation is the result, the thing that motivates us to make a change in the first place. We've all tried the 3-day juice cleanse that promises to get rid of your cellulite forever or bought the latest "fit in 30 days" online exercise program - and that's all fine - but as you already know those things RARELY deliver that promised result. And if they do, what are the odds that those results last, in 3 months, 6 months, or a year?
I believe the reason that we often find ourselves disappointed in our results, or lacking any results at all, is because we've skipped over the most important part of a true transformation! Transformation doesn't only include the result, but more importantly, the growth that we experience through the process of change itself! The change in our mindset, the things we learn about ourselves and how our bodies work - what makes us feel good, what makes us feel bad, our feelings of self-worth. This growth is the thing that keeps us from going right back to where we started! It helps up get off of the dieting merry-go-round, for good. It helps us stop comparing our bodies to every person we see on social media or thinking that we'll suddenly be happy with our bodies once we see that magic number on the scale. It helps us appreciate our bodies and learn to steward them well. It helps us be more at peace with who God created us to be.
Helping someone to walk through a transformation and fully embrace this growth - this journey of contentment and peace with themselves - is the value of a health coach, and the reason I decided to become one.
My story:
I started pursuing this field after realizing how overwhelming and stressful it was to try to navigate changing my own health. I started on my own health journey about 7 years ago after noticing some things seemed off with my body. I had unexplained weight gain, major brain fog and fatigue and a handful of other symptoms which made me think my hormones may be out of whack. Being that I was only 23 at the time, and what I considered to be healthy, I was so confused and concerned. After an appointment with my doctor and some lab tests, I was told that I had PCOS. Not too long after that, with the development of different, and more concerning symptoms, I was diagnosed by another doctor with Endometriosis. (if you don't know what those diagnoses mean, they are basically reproductive system syndromes/diseases, that not only affect a woman's quality of life, but also her fertility). Already being somewhat familiar with the alternative medicine world, I decided that I wanted to treat these issues with lifestyle change, as the first line of treatment. So, unsure of where to start, I did what most of us do and turned to my friend google. Oh wow! I found hundreds and hundreds of articles! I remember being so overwhelmed! A lot of the articles contradicted each other and some of the ones that made the most sense contained really scary worst-case scenarios. I decided to just start somewhere, and that was with my diet. I tried a lot of things and made a lot of changes and often felt like I had NO clue what I was doing. Thankfully, I was blessed to work with several practitioners and some were super helpful and took the time to really explain what was happening in my body. Even then, I just remember feeling SO overwhelmed. Like many common diseases now, hormonal or reproductive system diseases often don't have many visible symptoms, so it can seem like everything is fine, when in reality the person feels like anyone but themselves.
This was a LONG journey, with a lot of learning, heartache, discouragement, and frustration at times. The questions of "should I be doing this differently?" and "maybe I should try that diet instead?" were a constant scrolling marquee in my mind. Eventually, I was able to work with a practitioner who could help me determine what was best for my body, and what my unique needs were. Did it magically fix everything? No! As a matter of fact, it would be several months of negative pregnancy tests and uncomfortable symptoms before I would notice any change, but the change did come! Not only was I able to miraculously carry the baby I wanted so very much, but I changed in the process. My heart changed, my appreciation for and understanding of my body changed, my relationships changed, and my faith was tested and strengthened. There's a lot to that story, and maybe I'll get into more of it in a different episode, but I'm telling you all of this because I just want you to know that I get it.
Life can throw us really hard, difficult, and even painful situations - but things are always harder when we try to go it alone. Friends, I don't want you to walk your journey alone. I don't want you to be frustrated and overwhelmed, constantly questioning yourself, or wondering what you are doing wrong! Find someone who can help you, whether it's me or another health professional, just find someone who will listen to you, care about your body's unique needs and give you the support you need. We really were never meant to live our lives alone!
So there you have it! That wraps up today's episode and I hope it helped to shed a little light on what a health coach really is and why I'm so excited to be doing this work!
If you have any questions about what I've talked about here today or maybe something about health coaching that I didn't mention, please feel free to send me an email or DM. You can be expecting a new podcast episode to be released each week, so go ahead and hit that subscribe button so you don't miss out!
You can also find more tips and education, along with some fun freebies by following me over on Instagram and Facebook or you can find more info on my website.